Gene grew up in Hollywood, California and worked in commercials for McDonald's and other fast food restaurants. He adopted a vegan lifestyle in 1985, and today, he campaigns to raise awareness about the negative consequences of industrialized factory farming and our cheap food system. He lives in rural New York state and is the co founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, America's leading farm animal protection organization, which runs the largest rescue and refuge network for farm animals in North America. Gene holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from California State University Northridge and a master's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University.
After volunteering and working with various environmental and human rights causes, Gene turned his attention to animal agriculture. He has conducted hundreds of visits to farms, stockyards and slaughterhouses to document conditions, and his pictures and videos, exposing factory farming cruelty, have been aired nationally and internationally, educating millions. He has testified in court and before local, state and federal legislative bodies, and has initiated groundbreaking legal enforcement and legislative action to raise awareness and prevent factory farming abuses. He played a significant role in passing the first U.S. laws to prohibit cruel farming systems - including the Florida ban on gestation crates, the Arizona ban on veal and gestation crates, and the California and Chicago bans on foie gras. His efforts have been covered by leading news organizations, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, National Public Radio, ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN. His book, entitled Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food, was published by Simon and Schuster in March, 2008 and has become a national best seller.
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
What Is the Democracy Restoration Act?
The Democracy Restoration Act allows former felons to vote in Federal elections after completing their sentences. Only two states Virginia and Kentucky permanently disenfranchise ex-offenders unless voting rights are individually restored by the Governor. In Virginia there are 300,000 ex-offenders who lost their right to vote when they were convicted of a felony.
Join us as we lobby U.S. House of Representatives to support HR 3550 (Democracy Restoration Act of 2009). This bill will allow ex-offenders to vote in Federal elections.
April 28, 2010 11am (morning lobby) Rayburn Cafeteria
Teach In on Capitol Hill on War
What Congress Must Do to End U.S. Wars and Help Secure a Peaceful Middle East
DESCRIPTION: Educational briefing on the U. S. agenda in the Middle East, its consequences and development of a strategy/plan to withdraw. Emphasis will be on constructive, interactive dialogue among panelists and attendees.
MODERATOR: Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D - Ohio)
PANELISTS: Chris Hedges, Jeremy Scahill, David Swanson, Ann Wright -- Learn more.
DATE: Thursday, April 29, 2010
TIME: 1:45 PM – 4:00 PM
PLACE: Gold Room (2168), Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Ave and C Street SW, Washington, D.C.
REFRESHMENTS: Beverages
ADMISSION: Free and open to the public, the media, members of Congress, and staff
Call your Representative at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to attend.
Don't Use Any More of Our Money
In the coming weeks, Congress will vote on spending $33 billion of your money to send another 30,000 troops, plus many more contractors, to Afghanistan.
DefundWar.org logoWe are inflicting horrible suffering on the people of Afghanistan, making our own nation less safe, and spending resources we badly need.
Tell congress members we need them to publicly commit to voting No, and to urge their colleagues to do the same. Call your Representative at (202) 224-3121.
Here's a whip list tracking who has already committed to voting No and to publicly lobbying their colleagues to join them:
http://defundwar.org
Brown Bag Vigil on April 21st
It's time to up the level and the reach of public pressure, with Brown Bag Vigils all over the country on April 21st at local congressional offices, where we will demand NO votes on funding an escalation in Afghanistan.
Marcy Winograd in Washington, D.C., on April 27th
Please join hosts Andy Shallal, Medea Benjamin, Steve Cobble, Steve Shaff, David Swanson, and Tim Carpenter to....
Meet and Greet PDA Congressional Candidate Marcy Winograd (CA-36/Harman)
Busboys & Poets (5th and K St.), Washington, D.C.
April 27, 7:00 PM
Click here for more details and to RSVP
May 8 Youth Peace Summit Registration
Register now for the sixth annual Richmond Youth Peace Summit, Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Southside Campus of St. Paul’s Baptist Church, 700 E. Belt Blvd. The event is open to young people ages 13-19, free of charge. Lunch will be provided.
The summit promotes teen leadership, nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice and positive self-expression through the arts. Morning and afternoon workshops will offer a variety of topics of interest to teens. The summit also features a midday performance by youth musicians and spoken-word artists.
The summit starts at 10 a.m. and concludes by 4:00 p.m. Participants are asked to arrive by 9:45. Participants must register in advance to select workshop choices.
Registration information is printed below. Participants can also register online (preferred method) by emailing rypp@rpec.org, or by visiting www.rpec.org, through U.S. mail (RPEC, 400 W. 32nd St., Richmond VA 23225), or by calling 232-1002.
The Youth Peace Summit relies on volunteers and contributions. Donations from individuals are encouraged. Organizations sending groups of young people to the event are asked to donate $5 per participant to help cover the costs of the event.
The Youth Peace Summit is presented by RYPP, the Richmond Youth Peace Project, an initiative of the Richmond Peace Education Center and Drums No Guns.
